How Drive Should Have Ended
by SniperX15
Summary: Alternate ending to the movie (well... sort of). Driver isn't too happy about Bernie's deal...


The Driver felt slightly nervous as he walked towards the meeting place. THE meeting.

At last it was time. It was all going to come down to this final moment; this final confrontation. Bernie Rose had agreed to meet him at last.

Bernie Rose… one of the most feared gangsters in all of California. The Jewish mobster was known for both his ruthlessness and tendency for sadistic violence. Driver shuddered as he recalled how he got into this mess in the first place…

Driver had agreed to be the getaway for a heist. He hadn't done it out of greed, he had done it to help his neighbor pay off some debts and to help a girl he cared about. He had tried to play the hero. Unfortunately, this got him into a whole lot of mess and now the local mob is trying to kill him.

Bernie Rose had arranged to meet him. To settle this thing once and for all….

Driver shuddered as he recalled the words over the phone.

''You, me and the girl are the only players left in this,'' Bernie's ominous voice had said. ''Let's settle this.''

_Right… let's settle this._

As Driver finally reached the restaurant, he expected the worse. Clearly, this was going to be a trap. He knew he was walking into a trap but he also knew he had no choice. He had to protect the girl, he had to do the right thing.

Looking left and right, Driver walked into the restaurant. It was a Chinese food place and there were a few people seated amongst the tables. Strangely, there weren't too many shady characters. At last, he saw the man.

Bernie Rose was seated in a private room at the back of the place. Driver was surprised.

_He's ALONE?_

Looking left and right and over his shoulder, Driver approached the powerful mobster.

''Did you bring the money?'' Bernie said abruptly.

Driver said nothing. He simply sat down. The two men stared at each other for a few seconds. Then Bernie broke the silence. The Jewish mobster spoke clearly and decisively.

''Here's what I'm prepared to oFFA,'' he said. ''You give me the money, the girl is safe. No one knows where she is; she's off the map.''

Bernie looked at Driver straight in the eye as he emphasized his next words. '' I CAN'T… offer you the same.''

Driver said nothing. His face was rapt with attention; this was important.

''So here's what I suggest,'' Bernie continued. ''We shake hands, we do the deal and you go home. That way you can start the next part of your life.''

The Jewish mobster's eyes turned cold, hard and powerful as they bore into the Driver's face.

''Whatever dreams… hopes… and plans that you may have,'' he said coldly. ''I THINK you're going to have to put those on hold. FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE… you're gonna look over your shoulder.''

_Well that sucks…_

''I'm telling you this because,'' Bernie added almost casually. ''I want you to know the truth. But the girl is safe.''

Having concluded his intimidating speech, Bernie sat back to watch the Driver's response. The Driver paused and frowned slightly as he processed all of this. It sounded to him like this was a pretty shitty deal…

''So let me just clarify,'' the Driver said eventually. ''The girl is safe… but I'm not?''

''That's right,'' Bernie replied.

''I'm gonna look over my shoulder?''

''You're gonna look over your shoulder,'' Bernie nodded.

_This deal sucks…_

''Well then…'' Driver's eyebrows were raised so high. ''What's in it for me? I mean… the girl is already kinda safe. She's hidden away. It's not like you've already abducted her or anything. You don't even know where she is.''

It was Bernie's turn to frown. This wasn't going his way. Driver wasn't supposed to ask so many questions.

''Look,'' Bernie said slowly and carefully. ''If you think you and your girl can just hide for the rest of your lives and that this has a happy ending… you're dead wrong. My people will get to her… Did you seriously think, that you and the girl could just take my money… and WOK away from this?''

'"Actually,'' Driver replied. ''I was thinking of driving but anyways-''

''Listen boy,'' Bernie cut across sharply. ''You're not in any position to make demands. You don't know what I'm capable of. If you're going to go ahead and test me, I THINK you won't like the results.''

Driver said nothing.

''I THINK,'' Bernie continued, allowing himself a slight smile. ''You might find your girl may end up in an accident.''

Driver could feel his anger rising. He didn't like it when people threatened girls. It was always a cheap move…

''UNLESS of course,'' Bernie continued. ''You give me the money. THEN… THEN… the girl is safe.''

''But I'm gonna look over my shoulder?''

''You're gonna look over your shoulder.''

''So…'' Driver added nervously. ''Does this mean that you're going to be sending people to try to kill me after? Or that you might try to kill me right after you get the money?''

Bernie frowned. This guy asked too many questions. ''Maybe,'' he replied simply. ''It's on the table. But I can't say.''

''I don't like this deal.''

''I don't care,'' Bernie replied. ''Like I said. It's the only one. You give me the money, the girl is safe, but I just can't promise the same for you.''

''How… how about this,'' Driver inquired. ''I give you the money, the girl is safe… AND… AND…''  
Bernie was really getting tired of this.

''AND…'' the Driver continued. ''I'm also safe?''

''... ... FINE!''

Several hours later the Driver and Bernie walked up to a deserted parking. They stopped by a car.

''Where's the money?'' Bernie demanded.

Driver said nothing. He simply opened the trunk of the car; sure enough, the bag of cash was in there.

Bernie executed his master plan. Without warning, he pulled out a large knife and rammed it into the Driver's torso.

''AAAAAAAAARGH…'' the Driver screamed out in pain as his body was pushed into the car; Bernie's hand was still firmly on the knife's handle.

The Driver retaliated. Smoothly, he pulled out a knife of his own and pushed it into Bernie.

In contrast to Driver, the Jewish mobster was instantly killed; falling immediately onto the concrete and out of the game.  
The Driver took a few seconds to calm himself down. Ignoring the blood running down from his chest, he casually pulled his own knife out, walked towards the car and started the engine.

He had no idea how he had survived. Bernie was the first to stab. Yet for some reason, Driver was left standing.

Ah well… whatever.

As he drove away, the Driver made sure to throw the bag of money out of the window; it landed next to Bernie's corpse. It was for the best, he didn't want people to have a reason to go after him.

The girl is safe…

****************************************************************  
Decades later, the Driver's grandchildren sat around the fire. They always loved to hear their grandfather recount the good old days; he had such an exciting past.

''And that's how it ended,'' the elderly Driver said, smiling to himself.

''Wait…'' a young Tom quipped. ''But… but why didn't he bring anyone else to the meeting? I mean this Bernie dude… like guards or assassins or anything.''

Driver frowned. He had wondered the same thing for decades. ''Hmmm… I dunno… I guess he was confident he could stab me himself. It wasn't very smart though…''

Driver paused for a few seconds. Clearly, his kids didn't like this explanation.

''MAYBE,'' Driver added after some thinking. ''Maybe when he said over the phone that he, the girl, and me were the ONLY PLAYERS left in this he meant it literally?''

''So he was bluffing the whole time and he was the only guy left?''

''Maybe…''

''But what if you had said no to his deal at the table and pulled out a gun?''

''Well… we didn't really use guns back then. At least not the classy people… I mean, I thought bringing a gun to the place wouldn't fit with my style very well. I mean, I was drowning people and using hammers and my bare hands before… a gun would just seem out of place.''

''How did you survive?''

''I dunno,'' Driver mused. ''I guess it was a miracle. I mean, he did stab first and I got him in the exchange. I guess he screwed up big time… He GOT HIS MONEY THOUGH. Haha… hahaha...''

THE END


End file.
